St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Fontmell Magna

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Fontmell Magna West Street, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0PF

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not acted quickly enough to tackle the school’s weaknesses. This has resulted in a decline in pupils’ performance across the school.  Governors have failed to hold leaders to account for declining standards. Governors have been too accepting of the information leaders provide. This has hindered their ability to hold school leaders to account.  Pupils make insufficient progress in reading and writing. In 2016, too few pupils achieved the expected standard in Years 2 and 6.  Teaching in some classes is hampered by pupils’ poor behaviour. This is too readily accepted and has an adverse effect on learning.  As a result of weak teaching, pupils have gaps in their learning. Boys’ progress is inconsistent. Where pupils’ achievement is low, they are not catching up quickly enough.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low. Some teachers’ assessments are inaccurate. Consequently, activities planned do

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

not routinely meet pupils’ learning needs.  Teaching for middle-ability pupils and the most able does not provide sufficient challenge. As a result, too few pupils have access to learning at a greater depth.  Work has started to eradicate pupils’ underachievement, including for disadvantaged pupils but this is in its infancy. It is too early to see any impact of this work.  Pupils do not take enough responsibility for their own behaviour and learning.  Leaders have not secured an effective safeguarding culture. The leadership of health and safety is weak. The attendance of some groups is not good enough.  Some parents rightly raise concerns about the school.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors are beginning to take swifter action this year.  Accurate assessment in the early years ensures that children’s learning needs are met. 27 January 2017

p.1

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – governors are robust in holding leaders to account for eradicating the underachievement of pupils, especially the disadvantaged and the most able pupils – governors hold school leaders to account for ensuring an effective safeguarding culture so that health and safety requirements, including site safety, are firmly adhered to and are in line with school and national policies – leaders’ self-evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate – leaders’ monitoring of attendance and progress of pupils registered at the school, including those educated at alternative provision, fully adheres to requirements – leaders’ actions to check teaching and learning have a direct impact on raising pupils’ achievement across the school.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning across the school by: – teachers having consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and achievement – insisting that assessment is accurate and this information is used to give pupils the right level of challenge, particularly the most able and middle-attaining pupils – ensuring that pupils make strong progress from their starting points so that a greater proportion reaches and exceeds expected standards in grammar, punctuation and spelling, reading, writing and mathematics – ensuring that pupils’ editing of their work improves their writing – insisting on high standards of behaviour in lessons so that no learning time is wasted.  Improve pupils’ personal development and welfare by ensuring that: – pupils learn to take responsibility for their learning and how they behave – parental confidence regarding their children’s welfare is increased and any

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

concerns are quickly resolved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. 27 January 2017

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders, including governors, understand the school’s priorities but overestimate the impact of the school’s work. Leaders have not been effective in halting a decline in pupils’ progress across the school. They have not taken rapid enough action to improve teaching and pupils’ behaviour. As a result, teaching is not bringing about outcomes that are good enough, with low expectations and poor behaviour too readily accepted.  Senior leaders demonstrate a limited capacity to meet the school’s statutory duties to safeguard pupils. This is because leaders and governors do not ensure that ongoing health and safety checks are carried out.  Leaders do not ensure that behaviour in lessons is consistently well managed. While leaders have established systems to manage behaviour at a strategic level, on a day- to-day basis some pupils do not behave well. This has an adverse effect on the quality of learning and therefore limits pupils’ progress overall.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Parental satisfaction and confidence with the quality of their children’s education are not secure. Some parents, when responding to the online questionnaire, Parent view, and free text-messaging service, raised concerns about the lack of progress their children are making and poor communication from the school.  Checks on the quality of teaching by leaders do not have sufficient impact on pupils’ learning. Leaders are overgenerous in their assessments. The emphasis on the quality of teaching and its impact on improving the progress of groups of pupils are limited. Feedback to teachers is not resulting in the required improvement. Considerable weaknesses in teaching therefore remain, and pupils’ underachievement is prevalent.  The impact of middle leadership on their areas of responsibility is too variable. Where leaders are inexperienced, they do not yet have the subject knowledge and skills to

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

improve teaching and pupils’ progress across the school in their subject. The headteacher has prioritised additional support and training. This is helping to develop this tier of leadership. However, improvement is recent and its impact is too limited.  The leadership of special educational needs is not effective. There is no clear overview of how additional funding is spent. There is no strategic overview of individual pupils’ needs. Day-to-day support is provided but its impact is variable. Planned interventions for pupils falling behind are also tracked by the special educational needs leader. However, not all pupils get clear access to work in whole-class situations because it is not precisely matched to their needs. This hinders the progress these pupils make.  Leaders’ actions have not yet resulted in disadvantaged pupils making good progress. Currently, too few disadvantaged pupils are on track to meet expected standards in

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders use additional pupil premium funding to provide additional support in reading, writing, mathematics, monitoring attendance and providing emotional and social support. Most recently, governors are tracking closely the impact of this funding, including for most-able disadvantaged pupils. However, underachievement remains and inspection evidence confirms that pupils are not catching up quickly enough. 27 January 2017  Recent external support has been effective in identifying the extent of weaknesses at the school. This has helped leaders and governors to develop a realistic benchmark to increase challenge and levels of accountability across the school and begin to improve middle leadership. Historically, the school has had ‘light touch’ external support.  The pace of improvement has quickened since September. The headteacher and middle leaders are making determined efforts to make improvements to teaching and

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

outcomes for pupils, but they are having insufficient impact. At this time, too few pupils are on track to meet expected standards or make acceptable rates of progress from their different starting points.  Leaders and staff hold regular meetings to discuss pupils’ progress. A refined assessment system is helping teachers to take greater ownership of the current underachievement of pupils. In this respect, there are early indications of some improvements but it is too early to determine that these can be sustained.  The school offers a broad curriculum. For example, pupils are taught music regularly and engage in 3D-making projects in design and technology. Pupils talk with confidence about the Christian values underpinning their school. Pupils have undertaken curriculum work on British values, but those pupils spoken to on inspection were unable to talk confidently about this aspect.  The PE and sport premium funding is used to enable a greater range of sporting

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

events, develop a forest school on site and subsidise outdoor adventurous activities.  Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

p.4

Governance of the school

 There has been considerable change to the governing body. Historically, governors have failed to hold the school to account for ensuring that the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes are good. Until recently, minutes of governing body meetings lacked clarity and had insufficient focus on pupils’ achievement.  Governors have been too accepting of the information leaders provide and this has hindered their ability to hold the school to account.  Governors have recently increased the rigour with which they track how pupil premium funding is spent. This work is recent and its impact is yet to be seen.  As a result of recent training and external support, the governing body is beginning to hold school leaders to account for the decline in pupils’ outcomes in 2016 and have raised expectations of leaders to eradicate pupils’ underachievement across the school.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Leaders and governors do not check frequently enough that policies and risk assessments are effective at minimising risk. Some aspects of site safety are not as good as they should be. The strategic leadership of this aspect is weak. Senior leaders have not created an effective safeguarding culture which fully considers their statutory duties for health and safety.  The necessary procedures to check suitability to work with children are followed prior 27 January 2017 to staff starting in post. Staff training has ensured that staff know what to do if they have a concern about children being at risk of harm. Staff spoken to on inspection knew what to do if they have concerns and they understand the school’s procedures for referral.  All staff have completed a recent update to ‘Keeping children safe in education’, 2016, and training in the ‘Prevent’ duty.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teaching has too many weaknesses and is inadequate.  In some cases, the impact of teaching is hindered by pupils’ poor attention to their work. This is because work on offer for these pupils is not well matched to their needs. It is sometimes too easy or too hard. As such, pupils find it difficult to apply their knowledge and understanding to the tasks set, and misconceptions are not adequately picked up by teachers.  Teachers’ expectations for the middle attaining and the most able pupils are too low. This means that these pupils do not apply and deepen their understanding. When work set is too easy, pupils’ interest is not captured, their learning stalls and attention drifts.  In some classes, teachers’ weak behaviour management hinders pupils’ learning. Leaders encourage teachers to develop their practice; however, weak behaviour management gets in the way of this advice and therefore leaders’ impact to improve

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

teaching is too limited.  Where teaching of writing or mathematics is weak, this is because new learning is not communicated clearly enough. Pupils therefore become confused and do not achieve the success of which they are capable.  Pupils do not take enough responsibility for their own behaviour and learning. As a result, some work is left unfinished or time in lessons is wasted. This hinders pupils’ progress.  Teaching for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is too variable. Not all pupils get adequate access to learning that meets their needs. This leads to inconsistent progress for these pupils.  In some classes, teaching is bringing about progress that is more rapid. This is helping to reduce prior underachievement caused by weaker teaching elsewhere in the school. However, considerable inconsistencies in teaching prevail and mediocre teaching is too readily accepted.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teaching assistants provide a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. For example, interventions in Year 6 are making a difference in their understanding of how to accurately calculate averages. Such support helps pupils move forward in their learning. As a result, those pupils who have previously underachieved are beginning to catch up towards expected standards for their age.  The whole-school focus on developing pupils’ spelling is beginning to bear fruit. 27 January 2017

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate. Leaders, including governors, have failed to check up on whether ongoing health and safety procedures are followed, up-to-date and robustly monitored.  Some parents express concerns about the welfare of their children and that the leadership at the school is not sufficiently focused on pupils’ development and well- being.  Pupils say that when bullying occurs, it is dealt with by leaders in the school. Pupils understand the systems in place. Most pupils spoken to on inspection said that they typically felt safe in school. However, a few expressed concerns about travelling to school by bus, where they say some pupils’ use of derogatory language makes them feel uncomfortable.  Over time, attendance has been broadly in line with national averages. Historically, some pupils eligible for free school meals have not attended well enough. Since

p.6

Personal development and welfare

September 2016, governors have monitored this aspect with greater rigour.  Leaders and governors have not assured themselves that there are systems to check that pupils using alternative provision attend well, are safe, and make good progress.  Pupils who attend the after-school provision, ‘Time2Do’, play board games and enjoy quiet activities. Basic healthy snacks are provided. Attendance registers are appropriately used. For example, parents are required to sign pupils out on exit.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate. When teaching fails to meet their needs and interests, some pupils become disruptive. Poor behaviour in lessons is not managed consistently well in some classes. This has a negative impact on the learning and progress of pupils.  For some pupils, their low-level disruption and disrespectful behaviour is borne out of work being too easy for them. In such cases, pupils can self-correct their behaviour and meet the requirements of the tasks teachers provide in a short amount of time. However, often tasks are completed quickly with little care and the wasted learning time is too readily accepted as the norm.  Very many pupils are polite, well-mannered and demonstrate strong behaviours for learning. These pupils try hard in lessons and are keen to do well. However, pupils’ opportunity to learn is limited by the inconsistent management of behaviour and teaching expectations that are too low.

p.6

Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy their lunchtime in the lunch-hall and on the playground. Generally, pupils play together well and enjoy the games on offer. Clear systems are in place to deal with any disagreements. Around the school, pupils are mostly orderly. However, teachers’ expectations of pupils when they move between lessons and activities or within parts of lessons are inconsistent. This results in some learning time that is 27 January 2017 wasted.  Parents’ responses to the online questionnaire and their text message responses are mixed. While some parents are very satisfied with the school, others express concern about pupils’ behaviour and its impact on learning. School leaders have not been effective in resolving parental concerns.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Considering pupils’ starting points, current pupils make inadequate progress in writing. Current assessment information confirms that too few pupils across the school are on track to reach expected standards. Some assessment information is inaccurate and not well aligned with work in books.  In 2016, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing, and grammar, punctuation and spelling was significantly lower than that achieved nationally. End of key stage 2 outcomes reflect the legacy of weak progress made across the school.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The most able pupils, including those that are disadvantaged, are not provided with sufficient challenge to enable them to attain highly in reading, writing and mathematics.  In 2016, information shows that a considerably lower proportion of pupils than in most schools reached the expected standard in writing and reading at the end of Year 2. Now in Year 3, these pupils are not catching up quickly enough. The legacy of underachievement is not being successfully addressed.  For current pupils in Year 2, their progress has been insufficient. Pupils’ progress is beginning to accelerate this term. However, underachievement remains.  In the early years, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development, the expected standard for children nationally, dipped below the national average in 2016. Internal assessment information confirms that children’s progress across the early years from their different starting points was typical across 2016 in most areas of

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

learning. However, achievement in reading and writing was not as rapid, particularly for boys. On starting key stage 1, progress for these pupils has not been sustained. Pupils are not making sufficient progress, particularly in writing.  Too few disadvantaged pupils are on track to meet expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Work in books demonstrates that pupils often fail to meet expected standards and teaching does not bring about progress that is good enough. Additional intervention is now bringing about some improvement.  Boys have not made enough progress from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ outcomes in the phonics screening check in Year 1 have been in line or above the national average for the last three years. 27 January 2017

p.7

Early years provision Inadequate

 The leadership of early years is weak. Leaders have not checked that ongoing risk assessments and guidance are adhered to. Safeguarding is not effective. A rope boundary marking the end of the early years area and the start of the forest school provision denotes the boundary of the early years outdoor area. Children understand they are not to go further. However, some aspects of site safety in this regard are not as robust as they should be to assure children’s safety.  However, the day-to-day leadership in the early years ensures that children’s individualised assessments are up to date and used appropriately to plan work at the right level for individual children.  Current teaching in the early years builds on what pupils can and cannot do. For example, children confidently apply their phonics knowledge to write and spell words independently.  Teachers take into account children’s interests so that their learning is fun and

p.8

Early years provision Inadequate

motivates them. Children are encouraged to make choices in their learning. For example, when making Chinese lanterns as part of their school topic, children are encouraged to think about how they would tape, join and decorate lanterns. As a result, children’s creative development is enhanced as they successfully establish their own individualised ideas.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well catered for. Bespoke teaching and assessment ensures that these children are supported to make strong progress from their starting points.  Those children who start the early years with knowledge and skills in advance of their chronological age are provided with activities that develop their understanding further. For example, mathematical tasks are on offer which develop children’s understanding of numbers to 20 and beyond. 27 January 2017

p.8

School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

p.9

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.9

School details

Email address admin@fontmell.dorset.sch.uk

p.9

School details

Date of previous inspection 6 October 2011

p.9

Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school. There are seven classes.  The leadership structure in the school changed in January 2017.  There has been considerable change to the governing body this year.  Pupil mobility is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is less than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is just above the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs, or an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average. 27 January 2017  In 2016, the school did meet the government’s floor standard which is the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.  The school does meet the requirements on the publication of information on its website. 27 January 2017

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning across the school. Some lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, middle leaders and a small group of school staff.  A telephone conversation took place with a representative of the local authority. A further conversation took place with the school’s recently appointed Challenge and Support Advisor (CASP) from Salisbury Diocese.  A meeting took place with three governors.  Inspectors scrutinised school documents, including the school action plan and the school’s self-evaluation document. Records relating to behaviour and safety, attendance and safeguarding were also reviewed.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at lunchtime.  An inspector met with a group of pupils to seek their views of the school and discuss how they feel about their learning and development.  Inspectors looked at work in books to establish the current quality of pupils’ work and

p.11

Information about this inspection

their progress over time, and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors considered 51 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also considered comments provided by parents’ text messages and spoke to parents during the inspection. The views of staff were also considered through an online survey and a meeting with an inspector.

p.11

Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.11

Inspection team

James Hood Ofsted Inspector 27 January 2017 guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

p.12

Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.12

Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

p.12

Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.12

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12